Lockable handbag-latch



B. J. RICHARDSON AND C. S. BARBER.

LOCKABLE HANDBAG LATCH.

APPLICATION men 0501,5(1919.

1,357,725. Patent-6M0 2, 1920.

IWII I UNITED STATES P TENT ()FFICE.

BB-ODIE J'. RICHARDSON AND CLAIRE S. BARBER, 0F WATERBURY, CONNECTICUT.

LOCKABLE HANDBAG-LATCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 2, 1920.

' Application filed. December 15, 1919. Serial No. 345,067.

To all whom 2'25 may concern:

Be it known that we, Broom J. RICHARD- son and CLAIRE S. BARBER, citizens of the United States, and residents, respectively, of Waterbury, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lockable Handbag-Latches, which improvements are fully set forth in the following specification.

This invention relates to improvements in devices of that class commonly mounted on one frame-section of a hand-bag, valise, suitcase, or the like, for cooperation, for fastening purposes and generally after the manher of a snap-latch, with a suitable tenoned hasp mounted on the opposed frame-section of such hand-bag, valise, suitcase, or the like, such devices embodying, each a springcontrolled bolt lockable against retraction through the medium of a key-operable tumbler and being well-designated lockable hand-bag latches.

The object of this invention is to provide a hand-bag latch of the character above indicated, which shall be simple and comparatively inexpensive as regards its construction; durable, eficient and reliable in practical service; convenient in its application to practical purposes; and which shall possess certain well-defined advantages over prior analogous constructions.

The invention consists in certain combinations, details and parts whereby, together with the novel disposition and relative arrangement of said parts, the attainment of the foregoing object is rendered practicable, all of which will be hereinafter more specifically referred to and set forth in the claims hereto appended.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a hand-bag latch embodying our said improveinents, opposed fragments of the frame-sections of a hand-bag, or like receptacle, being shown conjunctively therewith to better illustrate its practical application.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the latch, detached.

Fig. 3 is a rear elevation of same, de-

tached, a portion of the wall of the hollow thumb-piece being broken away.

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 2, the top plate and the thumb-piece of the device being removed, and a fragment of the front wall of the casing being broken away.

Fig. 5 is an end elevation of the device, the near end wall and portion of the front wall of the casing being broken away.

Fig. 6 is a detail view partly in elevation and partly in section showing the application of a key to the key-receiving stem of our improved latch.

Having reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein similar referencenumerals denote like parts throughout the several views, we, in carrying out our present invention, provide a casing, preferably formed from unitary blank of metal in sheet-form, and consisting of a base 7, top-plate 7' and opposite end-pieces 7", 7'. 8 denotes a post rising from the base 7, midway the length thereof, and which freely pierces, primarily an evener S and thereafter an operating bolt 8", the post 8 having a relatively enlarged, interior base 8 between which and the evener aforenamed is interposed a controlling spring 9, preferably spiral in form and encircling the post 8, as

' shown.

The post 8 further freely pierces the tumbier-hub 9, positioned intermediate the medial section of the bolt 8" and the evener 8, and through the medium of which tumblerhub, conjunctively with said evener, the dis tendingtendency of the spring 9 is transmitted to said bolt to elastically hold the same at all times duly protracted, the tumbler-hub 9', together with the tumbler 9 carried thereby, and the key-receiving stem 9', rising from said tumbler-hub and fitted with a suitable key-way 10, being, accordingly, rotatable, all as a unit, on and relatively to said post.

Under the normal tendency of spring 9, transmitted as above stated, the medial section of the bolt 8 lies in contact with the top-plate 7, at the inner face or underside thereof; and, more specifically, said medial section of the bolt 8 is merged into a downturned segment 10, which, in turn, is

' affording terminal being, respectively, correspondingly formed and duplicated at the opposite end of the medial section of the bolt 8", when deemed needful or desirable.

The front wall of the casing aforenamed has struck therefrom afragment 11, which projects into the path of, and limits, the downward movement, as against spring 9, f the bolt 8", and hence constitutes a stop for the latter, said stop being, when desired, employed in duplicate at opposite sides of the post 8, substantially as shown.

Said front wall of the casing aforenamed further has a fragment thereof drawn intact forwardly therefrom, for the formation of a horizontal, segmental socket 11", whose function will be made apparent hereinafter; and further is provided with a suitable opening 11 by way of which the tenon, as 12, of a suitable hasp, as 12, may be projected into the interior of the casing aforenamed, and which operation necessitates the engagement by said tenon of the upwardly and rearwardly curved edge of the catch, as 11, provided for cooperation therewith, with the result that said catch is momentarily depressed and, under continued movement inwardly of the tenon, permitted to snap back into a locking engagement with said tenon, which locking engagement may again be broken, as through depression of the bolt 8" fitted with said catch, all as in common practice, and as will be readily understood, the opening 11 being employed in duplicate when deemed needful or desirable, and as indicated in the drawing.

Depression of the bolt 8" is facilitated through the medium of a hollow thumbpiece 12, firmly mounted on the bolt 8, providedwith a key-hole 12' at its crown, and upwardly into which thumb-piece proj ects the fixed post 8, whereon is disposes to horizontally rotate, intermediate the medial section of the bolt 8" and the evener 8',the tumbler 9, whose hub 9 serves to duly space apart said medial section of the bolt 8 and said evener, said tumbler-hub having a diametrically reduced extension rising therefrom and I which projects upwardly freely through the said medial section of the bolt 8", and is merged upwardly into the 'key-receiving stem 9', having formed in its top the key-way 1O hereinbefore alluded to, the post 8, accordingly, projecting upwardly through said tumbler-hub, the re duced extension thereof, and upwardly through and suitably beyond said key receiving stem.

The tumbler 9 is at all times positioned in horizontal registry with the socket 11", and the plane of rotative movement thereof intersects the interior of said socket. Hence, when said tumbler shall have been so rotated at any time on the post 8, say to the position indicated in full lines in Fig. 1, as to cause a marginal segment thereof to enter and occupy the socket 11', the bolt 8 will thereby be securely held against retraction, while retraction of said bolt will be permitted whenever the tumbler 9 shall have been'so rotated, at any time on'the post 8, say to the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. l, as to withdraw from the socket 11 the entire marginal portion of said tumbler.

The operation of rotating the tumbler 9, in the one instance for locking the bolt 8 against retraction and in the other instance for liberating said bolt for retraction, is facilitated through the medium of a suitable key, as 13, insertible endwise into the thumb piece 12 by way of its key-hole 12", having an axial recess 13 at its advance endportion for the reception of the upper endportion of the post 8, whereby said key is guided when manipulated for actuating the stem 9 and therewith the tumbler 9, and having a suitableflug, as 13, for engagement with said stem by way of its key-way 10 formed therein.

The evener 8 serves both as a yielding retarder for the tumbler 9", when rotated, or under rotative action, and as a medium whereby the bolt 8 is essentially constrained to move more evenly upwardly and downwardly along the post 8, the depending portion of said bolt being thereby serviceably held against any undue swinging action, as on a center of movement defined by the medial, horizontal section thereof.

To the foregoing ends the evener 8 has an end-detent 13, which at all times occupies an open recess l i with which the downturned segment 10, of the operating bolt is provided, said recess being ample to afford measurable clearance immediately beneath said detent to permit a measurable,

downward tilting action on the part of said evener, together with the detent carried thereby, against the tendency of the sgring 9, and independently of the bolt 8; which action 011 the part of said evener takes place whenever the tumbler 9 shall be duly rotated on the post 8, and by reason of. the same engaging, depressing and overriding the small boss 14, whose yielding opposition to being so depresed insures the retardatory effect hereinbefore alluded to on said tumbler by the evener aforenamed, the latter affording said boss.

When deemed advisable the evener 8 may be provided with a suitable stop, as 14:", which projects into the plane of movement of the tumbler 9 and serves to limit the extent of rotative action thereof in either direction on the post 8.

The operation of our improvedhand-bag latch should be apparent from the foregoing description thereof; and in practice the same is mounted on one frame-section of a hand-bag, or the like, with its top-plate underlying snugly the top-member of such frame-section, while a suitable, tenoned hasp, as 12, for cooperation therewith, is duly mounted on the opposite frame-section of such handbag, or the like, all as in com mon practice, save that when the top-member of the frame-section to which our improved latch may be applied, is covered or faced with leather or the like, no objectionable protruding element, as a screw-head, is visible.

It will be seen that our improved latch is well adapted for the purposes for which it is intended, and further that the same may be modified, particularly as to the form of the various parts thereof and the details of the general construction, without materially departing from the spirit and principle of our invention.

lVe claim:

1. A latch comprising a casing having an upstanding post fixed therein; a bolt engageable with the tenon of a hasp and freely pierced by said post; an evener cooperating with said bolt in spaced relation thereto, and a bolt-controlling, resilient element, the latter duly positioned within said casing and serving, indirectly through the medium of'said evener, to yieldingly hold said bolt protracted.

2. A latch comprising a casing having an upstanding post fixed therein; a bolt engageable with the tenon of a hasp, freely pierced by said post, and fitted with a suitable recess; an evener cooperating with said bolt in spaced relation thereto, and fitted with a detent lying freely within the recess thereof; and a bolt-controlling, resilient element,

the latter duly positioned within said casing and serving, indirectly through the medium of said evener, to yieldingly hold said bolt protracted.

8. A latch comprising a casing having an upstanding post fixed therein; a bolt embodying a medial section merged into a downturned segment fitted with a recess, freely pierced at its medial section by said post, and engageable with the tenon of a hasp; an evener cooperating with said bolt in spaced relation thereto and serviceably projecting into and freely occupying the recess thereof; and a bolt-controlling resilient element, the latter serving, indirectly through the medium of said evener, to yieldingly hold said bolt protracted.

4. A latch comprising a casing having an upstanding post fixed therein; a bolt enand a boltcontrolling resilient element, the

gageable with the tenon of a hasp and freely pierced by said post; a non-yielding spacing medium, also pierced by said post beneath said bolt; and a bolt-controlling resilient element, the latter serving, cooperatively with the spacing medium aforenamed, to yieldingly hold said bolt protracted.

5. A latch comprising a casing having an upstanding post fixed therein; a bolt engageable with the tenon of a hasp and freely pierced by said post; an evener cooperating with said bolt; a spacing medium, also pierced by said post and serving to space said evener away from said bolt;

8O latter serving, indirectly through the agency of said evener and said spacing medium, to yielding hold said bolt protracted.

6. A latch comprising a casing having an upstanding post fixed therein; a bolt engageable with the tenon of a hasp and freely pierced by said post; a key-operable, segmental tumbler, also freely pierced by said post and rotatable thereon beneath said bolt; means co-acting with said tumbler whereby said bolt is locked against retraction and liberated for retraction, upon said tumbler being duly shifted, accordingly into varying positions in it plane of rotative action; and a bolt-controlling resilient element, the latter serving, indirectly through the medium of said tumbler, to yieldingly hold said bolt protracted.

7. A latch comprising a casing having an upstanding post fixed therein; a bolt engageable with the tenon of a hasp and freely pierced by said post; a key-operable tumbler also freely pierced by said post and rotatable thereon beneath said bolt; means for yieldingly retarding the tumbler aforenamed in its rotative action; and a boltcontrolling resilient element, the latter serving, indirectly through the medium of said tumbler, to yieldingly hold said bolt protracted.

8. A latch comprising a casing having an upstanding post fixed therein; a bolt engageable with the tenon of a hasp and freely pierced by said post; a ke -operable tumbler also freely pierced by said post and 115 rotatable thereon beneath said bolt; an evener coiiperating with said bolt, fitted with a boss, and serving to yieldingly retard the tumbler in its rotative action; and a bolt controlling resilient element, the latter serv 120 ing, indirectly through the medium of said evener, to yieldingly hold said bolt protracted.

9. A latch comprising a casing having an upstanding post fixed therein; a bolt en- 125 gageable with the tenon of a hasp, freely pierced by said post, and having a thumb piece rising therefrom and fitted with a keyhole in its crown; a segmental tumbler, also freely pierced by said post and rotatable 130 theredn' beneath said-bolt, said tumbler hav ing a reduced extension projecting upwardly through the bolt aforenamed, and merged into a key-receiving stem, somewhat upwardly through and beyondwvhich; and. into said thumb-piece, projects the post aforenamed; in line Withthe key-hole there above; and a resilient element, the latter serving, indirectly through the medium of said tumbler, to yieldingly hold said bolt 10 protracted;

BRODIE J. RICHARDSON. CLAIRE s. BARBER; 

